Marine Biology

Marine biology, the science that deals with animals and plants that live in the sea. It also deals with air-borne and terrestrial organisms that depend directly upon bodies of salt water for food and other necessities of life. In the broadest sense it attempts to describe all vital phenomena pertaining to the myriads of living things that dwell in the vast oceans of the world. Some of its specialized branches concern natural history, taxonomy, embryology, morphology, physiology, ecology, and geographical distribution. Marine biology is closely related to the science of oceanography because of the relationship of the physical features of the oceans to the living organisms that dwell in them. It aids in the understanding of marine geology through the study of those organisms that contribute their skeletal remains to the floors of the oceans or that elaborate the vast coral reefs of the tropic seas.

A principal aim of marine biology is to discover how ocean phenomena control the distribution of organisms. Marine biologists study the way in which particular organisms are adapted to the various chemical and physical properties of the seawater, to the movements and currents of the ocean, to the availability of light at various depths, and to the solid surfaces that make up the seafloor. Special attention is given to determining the dynamics of marine ecosystems, particularly to the understanding of food chains and predator-prey relationships. Marine biological information on the distribution of fish and crustacean populations is of great importance to fisheries. Marine biology is also concerned with the effects of certain forms of pollution on the fish and plant life of the oceans, particularly the effects of pesticide and fertilizer runoff from land sources, accidental spills from oil tankers, and silting from coastline construction activities.

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Scope and importance:
With the growing recognition of the biodiversity in the ocean’s midwater and the importance of this ecosystem on a planetary scale, scientists have become interested in quantitative measures of deep-sea species and their biomass. The goals of such a deep-sea census would be to gain an accurate current baseline of the number and kinds of animals, determine if and how the ecosystem is changing, and develop affordable ways to monitor marine ecosystems autonomously. To set the groundwork for establishing a deep-sea biodiversity baseline, Steve Haddock’s lab at MBARI and colleagues have been collecting undescribed species from the midwater and conducting morphological and genetic analyses. For example, one of the most commonly seen organisms in MBARI videos is a jelly called Aegina citrea This is a kind of narcomedusa, a group of jellies which typically eat other gelatinous plankton. Collections of the various forms, along with molecular studies, now show that this Aegina is actually at least four different species in three different genera. Before Haddock’s lab distinguished the various species based on morphology and DNA, they had been unable to accurately interpret video transects recorded by our ROVs.Some of our scientists focus on microscopic algae, animals, and microbes that live in the open ocean.

Other scientists study larger animals, such as jellies, squids, and fishes that drift or swim beneath the ocean surface. Some specific areas of research include:
• Jellies
• Octopuses, squids, fishes, and other midwater animals
• Marine life around icebergs
• Glowing marine organisms

Statistics:
Currently, scientists have named and successfully classified around 1.5 million species. It is estimated that there are as little as 2 million to as many as 50 million more species that have not yet been found and/or have been incorrectly classified. According to World Register of Marine Species (WoRMS) external link there are currently at least 226,408 named marine species.

So, there are at least 226,408 marine species but there are most likely at least 750,000 marine species (50% of 1.5 million species) and possibly as many as 25 million marine species (50% of 50 million species)